British Violin Making Association

BVMA CONSTITUTION

1. Name

The Association, formed on the 20th March 1995 in London, shall be called the BRITISH VIOLIN MAKING ASSOCIATION, and this title shall be strictly adhered to at all times.

2. Aims

To raise the general standard of skill and expertise of violin and bow makers and restorers.

To encourage the dissemination of information among violin and bow makers and restorers.

To promote the skills of violin and bow makers and restorers to the general public.

To promote general fellowship of all those interested in and concerned with the violin family in all its aspects.

3. Powers

In order to further the aims, the Association may receive subscriptions, which shall be prescribed for the ensuing year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), as well as monies and donations.

4. Order

a. The affairs of the Association shall be vested in the Management Committee, which shall be elected from the membership. It shall have the following officers:

Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Plus seven other members

Officers shall hold office for one year but shall be eligible for re-election. No committee member shall hold more than one office at any one time, unless it is in exceptional circumstances and in an acting capacity.

b. The quorum of the management committee shall be four. Notice of ordinary meetings of the Management Committee shall be given by the Secretary to its members no less than eight clear days before such a meeting and shall be accompanied by the agenda for that meeting and the minutes of the previous meeting.

c. The Committee shall appoint the following additional Officers to serve the Association for a similar term of one year from amongst Committee members:

Vice Chairman

Assistant Secretary

All Officers shall be Honorary but the Committee shall have the power to reimburse all proper out of pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Association by any Officer in such cases as it thinks fit.

d. The AGM shall be held each year. Any amendments to the Association rules can be made only at this meeting and can only be adopted on a two thirds majority. A quorum of the membership at these meetings shall be 20 members. Properly Audited accounts shall be published to the members at the AGM. Guests will be welcome to attend meetings by invitation.

e. Notice of the AGM shall be given in writing to all members no less than fourteen days before such meeting. The notice shall contain the agenda and no other business (except with the Chairman’s permission) shall be transacted at the AGM. Any items to be included in the agenda shall reach the secretary by the end of the month previous to the AGM.

f. Other members may be co-opted to the Management Committee as required but without the right to vote.

g. The Chairman shall have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on seven days written notice stating the purpose of such an EGM and also the Secretary, on receipt of a written request signed by any ten members, shall forthwith call on seven days notice an EGM. Any such request shall set out the reasons why such a special meeting is to be called, and the notice concerning the meeting shall state fully the business to be transacted thereat. No other business shall be transacted at such a meeting.

5. Members

a. Membership of the Association shall be open to all individuals who support the aims of the Association and have paid the required subscription.

b. A Newsletter, produced by the Association and distributed to all members, may be available to non-members and other organisations for a nominal fee.

c. A membership list will be available subject to members approval. This list will be kept on a computer-database.

d. The Association may resolve to:

Invite suitable persons as Honorary Members. They will hold full voting rights and be entitled not to pay subscriptions.

Invite suitable persons or Associations as either Patrons or Associate Members. Such Patrons or Associate Members will not be required to pay subscriptions and will have no voting rights.

6. Rules

a. Resolutions at all Committee and General Meetings shall be decided by a show of hands. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

b. Annual Subscriptions shall be proposed by the Managing Committee to the AGM each year and approved by the AGM. They shall be due on or before the 31st May next. Any member who is six months or more in arrears with his subscription may at the absolute discretion of the committee have their membership terminated having been given prior warning.

c. The Treasurer shall pay all monies received on behalf of the Association into a current banking account in the name of the Association and all cheques drawn on such an account shall be signed by the Treasurer and a member of the Association appointed by the Committee. In addition the Treasurer shall keep a complete and accurate record of all the financial accounts to be submitted at the AGM together with a balance sheet certified by Auditors appointed by the Committee.

d. Persons wishing to stand for election as Officers or Committee members shall submit their names to the Secretary with the signatures of proposer and seconder not less than 21 days prior to the AGM. Any names so submitted shall be enclosed with notice of the AGM.

e. Any fully subscribed member shall be entitled to attend a committee meeting given seven days notice to the Chairman (in writing or by phone). Such a member shall be entitled to partake in any discussion but shall not be entitled to vote. If 20 or more members wish to attend such a committee meeting, arrangements shall be made to accommodate them, which may involve the hiring of premises.

f. Any member wishing to stand as an Officer or Committee member of the Association should declare any outside interest or membership of any outside organisation which may jeopardise their impartiality.

g. The title and Logo of the Association should not be used for promotional material or to imply that a particular standard of quality has been achieved.

h. If a member’s conduct is deemed to be prejudicial to the interests of the Association their membership shall be reviewed and subsequently such member, having first been invited to comment may, if circumstances so warrant, be required to resign.

i. Every member shall be furnished with a copy of the Association rules and shall be bound by the same and by any approved alterations thereof.

These rules were adopted at the General Meeting of the Association on the 15 September 1999. Para 4d was amended at the AGM held on 13 September 2002. Paragraphs 4a, 4b and 5d were amended at the AGM on 17 September 2005.

Appendix to Rule 6(g) of the Constitution

BVMA membership does not guarantee any professional standard as a violin or bow-maker. Therefore neither the logo nor the mentioning of one’s membership should appear in any member’s promotional material, such as printed adverts, leaflets, flyers and the like as well as letterheads, compliment slips and business cards. Listings in directories can for informative purposes contain the fact that one is a member but only in the actual listing, not in any advert. Any case of doubt must be referred to the Management Committee.